In the 12-year period of 2005 through 2016, canines killed 392 Americans. Pit bulls contributed to 65% (254) of these deaths. Combined, pit bulls and rottweilers contributed to 76% of the total recorded deaths. | More »

Friday, May 9, 2008

Ban Pit Bulls, Sue the Mayor and the SPCAUPDATE 05/09/08: Keith Blais from Vancouver writes to The Province newspaper. He thinks Sean's parents should sue the agencies responsible for failing to protect people from pit bulls. Blais is exactly right. Not only do these agencies often deny that pit bulls are dangerous, they lobby against citizen and victim efforts to make breed-specific laws.

"The parents of Sean Bajwa should be able to sue Mayor Dianne Watts, the SPCA, the dog owners and other local politicians for allowing this vicious attack on yet another of our innocent citizens. We've pleaded and we've voiced our concerns. We've lobbied our politicians, but nothing has been done. It doesn't help to destroy pit bulls after they maul or kill. Get all pit bulls out of our cities and our province now."

Organizations like the SPCA, ASPCA and Human Society chapters have known for 20 years that pit bulls pose a unique danger to people and pets. Yet most of these groups oppose breed-specific laws designed to regulate pit bulls. Instead of sharing the truth about the breed's genetic characteristics -- tenacity (no "cut off" point once an attack starts), unpredictability, and high pain threshold -- they preach owner responsibility.

05/08/08: SPCA Refuses to Put Down Second Dog in Attack
The SPCA of Surrey, Canada may send one of the dogs that attacked Sean Bajwa back home. By law they may have to. Pit bulls that attack human beings and animals "have rights." They often get a second and third chance to attack again. Pit bulls, it seems, have far great rights than communities that get the offending dog thrown back at them.

Thankfully, the other pit bull has been put down. But victim Sean Bajwa, who is still recovering in hospital, said both dogs attacked him while he was playing basketball with friends in the playground. Sean's father, said he can't understand why the SPCA has not yet interviewed his son three days after the attack and why only one dog was put down.

The SPCA apparently is talking to all witnesses except the attack victim. Sean's father is hardly impressed by the agency. He told CBC news, "They never tried to contact me personally and my son. He's the prime witness. He had been attacked by two dogs." After the father's statement, the SPCA called on the family, whom they told, "the second dog is safely locked up,"(at least for now).

On another front, Mayor Diane Watts said new discussions are needed to better manage pit bulls in the city. She wants pit bulls muzzled when they are on the street. She also thinks pit bulls "should be on a leash." It's unclear if Watts is just a third-rate politician or if she needs a mental evauluation. Citizens of BC are talking "pit bull ban" as in the province of Ontario, not muzzle and leash laws.

05/08/08: Boy Saved by Baseball Bat Swinging Hero Speaks
Surrey, BC - Sean Bajwa figures he had about a minute of fight left in him before the two pit bulls got his face and throat. "If it was a minute more I would be gone," said the plucky 11-year-old as he recovered in Surrey hospital. He added that pit bulls can "chew through steel, but I was able to protect my face. I managed to save my head, and that's a good thing."

Sean's injuries required more than 100 stitches. Had Jordan Slezak not arrived, Sean would be missing a face today and his life.

Bajwa was playing basketball with two friends when they spotted two pit bulls running loose nearby. The dogs were fighting with each other before they approached the three boys on the basketball court. Sean said that he tried to run away but he fell and tripped on something. After the dogs bit up and down his legs and arms, he said, "I could see my skin on the dogs' faces."

The above is basically a manual from the ASPCA of how shelters should handle pit bulls. It is disturbing to say the least - from the water bowl picture to the installation of panic buttons - all from an author who admits a bias in favor of these dogs. But I found this part most interesting and may explain why dogs are being adopted that should not be.

As they regain their strength and vigor, they may revert to their normal behavior and sometimes become more aggressive• It is very difficult to make the decision to euthanize after the staff has bonded with an animal that has been rescued from anabusive situation

Anonymous | 5/10/2008 11:57 AM | FlagKeep themselves safe but not members of the public! Someone needs to SUE!

"We had to go back and re-engineer our housing because the dogs were able to literally pull apart the cages," Kumpf says. "They were able to get through the stainless steel guillotine doors because the doors were not large enough and heavy enough to prevent it. They were able to fence-fight by jumping four-plus feet in the air to fight with the dog on the other side of the bars...They eat the resting mats, they eat the fiberglass panels, they eat the water bowls off the wall"